Apparatus for automatically sealing envelops.



No. 652,356. Patented June 26, I900.

G.-N. FRENCH.

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY SEALING EN VEL0PS.

(Application filed Apr. 10, 1899.) (No. Madam 3 Sheets$heet I.

W/TNESSE 669% JNVQNTOR 11$ Aliorne N6. 652,356. Patented June 26', I900;G. N. FRENCH.

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY SEALING ENVELOPS (Application filed Apr. 10,1899.)

3 Shear-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

[NVENTUR cf 1. W M Attorney WITNESSES No. 652,356. 1 Patented June 26,1900.

' G. N. FRENCH.

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY SEALING ENVELDPS.

(Application filed Apr. 10, 1899.)

,3 Sheets8heet 3.

(:46 Model.)

WITNESSES l 1 yzlNVgxfok (Z i M I Allamey NITED STATES" PATENT FFICE.

GEORGE N FRENCH, OF WASHINGTON DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO THE AMERICAN SEALING MACHINE COM- PANY, OF ALEXANDRIA,VIRGINIA.

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATIQALLYSEALING ENVELOPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 652,356, dated June26,1900.,

Application filed Apia 10, 1899.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE N. FRENCH, of Washington, in the District ofColumbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatusfor Automatically Seal- V ing Envelops; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in apparatus for automaticallysealing envelops, one object of the invention being to improve, invarious respects, the machine upon which Letters Patent were granted toJosiah Dupaw, April 19, 1898, and designated by No. 602,801.

A further object is to provide the apparatus with a folder which willoperate to accurately fold the flap of the envelop, present the envelopto the sealing-rollers in such manner as to hold the 'flap against thebody of the envelop before and during the passage of the envelop betweensaid sealing-rollers, which can be readily adjusted for envelops ofdifferent widths, and which will automatically accommodate itself toirregularities in the'feedi ng of the envelops and adjust the latter toproper position to pass between the sealing-rollers.

"With these objects in view the invention consists'in certain novelfeaturesof construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, ashereinafter set forth, and pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view. Fig. 2 is asectional view on line a x of Fig; 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line3 'y of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 2 zof Fig. 1. Fig. 5is a detail view ofaportion of the moistenerl Fig.6 is adetail View ofthe folder, and Fig. 7 is a detail view of the receptacle for sealedenvelops.

A represents the frame of my improved apparatus, which is secured to andsupported by a table A. The frame A is provided near its inner end, atdiametrically-opposite sides, with standards 1 2, in the lower portionsof which the respective journals of a shaft 3 are mounted. Two rollers 45, of rubber or other suitable material, are spaced apart on the shaft 3and secured thereto, and one journal Serial No. 712,453. (No model.)

of said shaft is extended laterally beyond its bearing in the frame Aand provided with wheels a b c, the wheel 0 being larger than the othersand adapted to receive a strap d, which receives motion from a largedrivingwheel e, mounted in the framework under the table. The wheel e isdriven by means of a treadle, with which it is connected by means of apitman g.

The standards 1 2, above referred to, are connected by a cross-bar 4,from an intermediate part of which an arm or hanger 6 depends. The armor hanger 6 and the upper portion of the standard 1 are made withelongated'slots 6 for the reception of the journals of a weighted roller7, disposed immediately over the roller 4 and cooperating therewith tofeed envelops froln a platform 8 at the inner end of the apparatus, saidplatform being secured to the frame A in such manner as to leave aguide-flange9projecting upwardly at one side. The platform 8 is of suchwidth as to extend the full length of the lower feed-roller 4 and abouthalf the length of the roller 5, that portion of the platform adjacentto the latter being depressed somewhat, so as tobe disposed below theplane of said roller 5.

' The roller 5 is for the purpose of moistening the adhesive material onthe flap of the envelop and receives water from an opentray 8o 10,located under it. A verticaltubular extension 11 is cast with or securedto the tray and communicates with the latter by means of a duct orchannel 12. A water-reservoir 13, provided with a closed upper end,comniunicates at its lower end with the tubular extension and serves toautomatically maintain a definite supplyof water in the tray. Thereservoir may conveniently consist of a glass bottle, inverted andhaving its neck portion placed in the tubular extension 11. A valve orstopper 14 will preferably be disposed in the neck of the water bottleor reservoir to facilitate the placing thereof in the tubular extensionafter having been filled, and said valve or stopper is provided with anarm or stem 15, adapted to project some distance beyond the mouth of thebottle or reservoir and engage the bottom of said tubular extension forthe purpose of raising the valve or stoproo per, and thus permitting theescape of water from the reservoir into the tubular extension, fromwhich it will be fed automatically to the tray as the supply of water inthe latter diminishes.

A spring pressenplate C is disposed over the moistening-roller 5 and isconstructed in such manner as to press the gummed flap of an envelopfirmly against the roller, and thus insure the thorough wetting andsoftening of the gum throughout the entire length thereof. Thepresser-plate comprises a vertical member 16 and an integralhorizontallydisposed member 17. The vertical member 16 is provided nearits upper end with aborizontal elongated slot 18 for the passage of athumb-screw 19,by means of which the presserplate is adjustably securedto a lug on the cross-bar 4. The horizontal member 17 of thepresser-plate is curved eccentric to the roller 5 and projects at oneedge slightly over the edge of the platform adjacent to said roller. isbent to, form a curved lip 20, which is normally disposed in very closeproximity to the moistening-rolle'r 5, so as to press the flap of theenvelop firmly against said roller. Thus it will be seen that when anenvelop (with the flap thereof projected, as shown in Fig. 1) is passedbetween the feeding-rollers the flap will be bent by the member 17 ofthe presserplate and made to partially embrace the moistening-roller,while the lip 20 will press the flap firmly against said roller andinsure the thorough moistening of all the gum thereon. After passing thefeed-rollers 4 7 and the m'oistener the envelop will be deposited upon 7a plate 21, which in effect constitutes a continuation of the platform8. The plate 21 is made at a point about midway between its ends with anopening 22 for the accommodation of a rubber feed-roller 23, mounted insuitable bearings in the frame A. The frame A is provided with a bracket24 over the opening 22, and the upright members of this bracket are madewith elongated slots 25 for the reception of the journals of a weightedv roller 26,which normally bears upon the roller 2'3 and cooperatestherewith to feed the envelop forward through the folder and then to thesealing-rollers. The feed-roller 23 is provided with a wheel 27, towhich motion is imjarted b means of a stra 28 assin over P p k P s thewheel a.

The sealing-rollers above referred to com,

prise two rollers 29 30, disposed at the for- The forward edge of themember 17 v flange projecting above the platform and its extension fromone end to the other to form a lateral guide for the envelope passingthrough the apparatus.

The folder above alluded to is located between the feed-rollers 23 26and the sealingrollers and somewhat laterally from the inside edge ofthe extension 21 of the platform, so as to receive the flap of theenvelop as the latter passes from the feed-rollers 23 26 and deliver theenvelop with the flap folded thereon to the sealing-rollers.

In constructing the folder I employ a plate 35, curved upwardly at itsouter edge to form a flange 36, and the inner end of said plate and itsflange are curved to form lips 37,which insure the passage of the flapof the envelop over said plate. The flange 36 of the plate 35 is madewith an inclined upper edge and terminates in close proximity to theforward end of the plate. At the higher end of the flange 36 aspring-plate 37 is secured, said plate extending in the form of aspring-finger 38 to the forward end of the plate 35 and normally bearingthereon. The rear or higher end of the plate 37 is bent to form anupturned lip 39 to insure the entrance of the edge of the envelop underthe said plate and its spring-finger. The flange 36 of plate 35 isprovided on its outer face with a lug 40, to which a bar or shank 41 ispivotally connected, said bar or shank being mounted on side of theframe A and held adjustably in position by means of a set-screw 42. Thebar or shank 41 is made with a shoulder 43, against which a shoulder 44on the lug 40 is normally pressed by means of a coiled spring 45,attached at its respective ends to the bar or shank and the higher orlarger end of flange 36 of plate 35. The shoulders 43 44 are so arrangedrelatively to each other and the shank is so mounted in the frame Athatthe forward end of the flange 36 of the folder will be slightly nearerthe guide-flange of the frame than the rear end, so that should anenvelop in passing through the feeding devices be moved away from saidguide-flange it will still enter the larger end of the folder and bepushed laterally toward the guideflange by the forward portion of flange36, said folder being so adjusted that the space between the forward endof its flange 36 and the guide-flange of the frame will be equal to thewidthof the envelop. Should the envelop become considerably displacedlaterally in passing through the feed-rollers or should it not bestarted through the first pair of feed-rollers close to the guide-flangeof the frame, the folder will yield and permit the entrance of theenvelop and then push the letter laterally toward the guide-flange, asabove explained, so that it will be in posi tion to pass between thesealing-rollers.

is apparent that when the flap of the envelop V engages the curvedfolder-plate (the body of the envelop being disposed on the plate orextension 21 of the platform) the flap will be bent up against the bodyof the envelop and held there by the spring-finger.

The folder will be so set as to deliver the envelop to the lowersealing-roller somewhat below the plane thereof, and the spring-fingerwill tend to pass downwardly on the envelop, so that the latter willpartially embrace the roller and the flap be thus held against 'the bodyof the envelop before it passes between the two rollers.

The table A is provided with arms 46, (preferably hinged thereto tofacilitate packing for shipping,) and on these arms the forward end ofthe frame A rests. A receptacle E for sealed envelops delivered from thesealing-rollers is disposed between the free ends of the arms 46 andsupported on said arms by means of ears or flanges 47. One side andbottom of the receptacle is preferably slotted, as at 48, to facilitatethe removal of sealed envelops therefrom.

Various slight changes might be made in the details of construction ofmy invention without departing from the spirit thereof or limiting itsscope, and hence I do not Wish to limit myself to the precise detailsherein set forth.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an envelop-sealing machine, the combination with a frame, amoistening-roller, a cross-bar above the same, and feeding-rollersdisposed to one side of the moistening-roller, of acurved plate having avertical arm or member provided with a transverse elongated slot, athumb-screw passing through said slot and attached to the cross -bar,said plate disposed over and partially embracing the moistening-rollerand adapted to press the gummed flap of an envelop thereon.

2. In an envelop-sealing machine, a flapi'older consisting of a curvedplate and a spring-finger secured to the inner end of said plate andbearing at its free end upon the free forward end of said plate.

3. In an envelop-sealing machine, a flap- CAD folder consisting of aplate having an upwardly-curved flange at one edge and having adownwardly and outwardly curved inner end, and a plate secured to theinner end of said flange and having an upturned inner end, the forwardportion of said last-mew tioned plate terminating in a spring-fingerbearing upon the free end of said first-mentioned plate.

4. In an envelop-sealing machine, a fiap= folder consisting of a bar orshank, a folderplate having an upturned curved flange piv otallyattached to said shank, stops or shoulders for limiting the movement ofsaid plate in one direction and a spring attached to said bar or shankand plate for retaining the latter normally in and returning it to itsnormal position. i.

5. In an envelop-sealing machine, the com bination with a frame andsealing-rollers, of a flap folder arranged with its delivery end belowthe upper plane of the lower sealingroller.

6. In an envelop-sealing machine, the combination with a platform, aflange at one edge of said platform and sealing-rollers, of a flapfolderpivotally connected with the frame, a spring for afiording a yieldingconnection of the folder with the frame adjacent to the free edge ofsaid platform, said folder having an upturned flange so disposed thatits forward end will be nearer the flange at the side of the platformthan the rear end.

7. In an envelop-sealing machine, the combination with a frame, aplatform and sealing-rollers, of a bar or shank adj ustably attached tothe frame, a folder pivotally attached to said bar or shank, stops forlimiting the folder in one direction and a spring attached at itsrespective ends to said bar or shank and said folder.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

GEO. N. FRENCH.

Witnesses: Y

FRED. WEILER, JNO. S. ANDERSON.

